The rich and rare biodiversity in Cyprus. The Cyprus biodiversity includes 1908 plants, 780 seashells, 250 fishes, more than 7.000 insects, 410 birds including migratory, 31 mammals, 9 snakes, 11 lizards,three amphibians, 120 land snails, fungi estimated 5-8 thousandand and three turtles.These numbers continually increase as a result of researc. Also see All about Cyprus. From George Konstantinou. Email - fanigeorge@hotmail.com - Το υλικό της ιστοσελίδας αποτελεί πνευματική ιδιοκτησία.
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Saturday, 28 May 2016
Exochomus nigromaculatus (Goeze, 1777) - Cyprus
Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata (Linnaeus, 1758) - 22-spot ladybird - Cyprus
Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata (often abbreviated to
Psyllobora 22-punctata), the 22-spot ladybird, is a 3–5 mm long ladybird
commonly found in Europe . Unlike most other ladybirds which feed on aphids, P.
22-punctata eats mildew especially from umbellifers and low-growing shrubs. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Probably the first record of the species in Cyprus.
Photos at Aradippou 20/5/2016, by Michael Hadjiconstantis.
Friday, 27 May 2016
Andrachne telephioides L. - Cyprus
They are monoecious herbs or subshrubs, native to semideserts and desert margins of the Americas, southern Europe, North Africa, and South Asia. Linnaeus took the name from Theophrastus, but it is not clear to which plant Theophrastus applied the name.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Photos Rizokarpaso 5/5/2016 by George Konstantinou
Thursday, 26 May 2016
Red mullet - Mullus barbatus Linnaeus, 1758 - Κουτσομούρα -Στρίλια - Cyprus
Siganus rivulatus Forsskål, 1775 - Άσπρη Κουρκούνα, Προσφυγούλα - Cyprus
Atlantic white-spotted octopus - Callistoctopus macropus (Risso, 1826) - Cyprus



Callistoctopus macropus grows to a mantle length of 20 cm (8 in) with a total length of 150 cm (59 in). The first pair of arms are a metre or so long, and are much longer than the remaining three pairs. The arms are all connected by a shallow web. This octopus is red, with white blotches on its body, and paired white spots on its arms. When it is disturbed, its colour becomes more intense, deimatic behaviour which may make it appear threatening to a potential predator.

Callistoctopus macropus is more fastidious in its diet than is the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris), a species with which it shares some of its range and which feeds by day. Callistoctopus macropus, by contrast, feeds by night. Its method of feeding is to move from one clump of branching coral to another, often Acropora or Stylophora spp.. The octopus wraps its mantle around a coral head and probes with its arms among the branches, searching for the small fish and invertebrates that seek protection there. It has been found that a number of groupers (family Serranidae) and other predatory fish associate with the octopus when it is feeding, pouncing on small organisms that are flushed from the coral head by the octopus.
For many years, the breeding habits of this octopus were not known. Then a female was observed attaching short-stalked eggs, measuring 4 by 1.2 mm (0.16 by 0.05 in), to a hard surface forming a sheet of eggs. The female then brooded the eggs, caring for them by aerating them and keeping them clean. The female octopus stopped feeding at the time the eggs were laid and died soon after they had hatched, as is common among octopus species. The planktonic larvae which emerged from the eggs were each about 5.5 mm (0.2 in) in length with short, seven-suckered arms. They fed on zooplankton such as crustacean larvae.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Underwater photos Protaras 25.05.2016 by Costas Constantinou
Apogonichthyoides pharaonis (Bellotti 1874) - Cyprus
Lessepsian migrants to Cyprus
Apogonichthyoides is a genus of fish in the family Apogonidae, the cardinalfishes. They are native to the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.
1mtr deep,Protaras,25.05.2016 Photos by Costas Constantinou

This genus was separated from Apogon in 2010. These species are light brown to brownish black in color, often with dark elongated spots or stripes. There is usually a line on the cheek and two bars on the body. Some species have an eyelike spot on the side of the body
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia1mtr deep,Protaras,25.05.2016 Photos by Costas Constantinou
Wednesday, 25 May 2016
Valantia hispida L. - Cyprus
Valantia hispida is a species of annual herb in the family Rubiaceae. They have a self-supporting growth form and simple, broad leaves. Individuals can grow to 0.05 m
Hedysarum cyprium Boiss. - Ηδύσαρον το κύπριο - Endemic to Cyprus
Endemic to Cyprus - Red Data Book category
Hedysarum (sweetvetch) is a genus of the botanical family Fabaceae, consisting of about 309 species of annual or perennial herbs in Asia, Europe, North Africa, and North America.
Species within Hedysarum genus may be herbaceous plants or deciduous shrubs. They have odd-pinnate leaves, with entire leaflets (no notches or indentations). These leaves resemble the leaves of sweet peas. The stipules may be free or connate, and stipels (secondary stipules) are absent.
The inflorescences are peduncled racemes or heads. Bracts are small, with bracteoles below the calyx, and calyx teeth subequal. The petals may be pink, purplish, yellow, or whitish. Vexillum is longer than the wings, with an obtuse keel longer or rarely shorter than the wings. Stamens are diadelphous, 9+1, and anthers uniform. Ovary is 2-8-ovuled. Fruit is a lomentum, with segments that are glabrous, pubescent, bristly, or spiny. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Species within Hedysarum genus may be herbaceous plants or deciduous shrubs. They have odd-pinnate leaves, with entire leaflets (no notches or indentations). These leaves resemble the leaves of sweet peas. The stipules may be free or connate, and stipels (secondary stipules) are absent.
The inflorescences are peduncled racemes or heads. Bracts are small, with bracteoles below the calyx, and calyx teeth subequal. The petals may be pink, purplish, yellow, or whitish. Vexillum is longer than the wings, with an obtuse keel longer or rarely shorter than the wings. Stamens are diadelphous, 9+1, and anthers uniform. Ovary is 2-8-ovuled. Fruit is a lomentum, with segments that are glabrous, pubescent, bristly, or spiny. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Photos Nicosia 6/10/2011 by George Konstantinou
Duroniella lucasii (Bolivar 1881) - Cyprus
Duroniella lucasii inhabits various types of habitats like coastal dunes with humid and grassy depressions, wetlands, oases and other grassy and hot habitats.
Duroniella lucasii occurs in parts of Africa (especially in the North) and SW-Asia (especially in the Levant incl. Cyprus, Arabia). In Europe, it is known from Sardinia.
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